Synergistic ResearchTesla PowerCell 10se Mk IIusedSynergistic Research Tesla PowerCell 10se Mk IISynergistic Research PowerCell 10 SE Mk II.Great condition and perfectly functioning, only a minor crack on the back panel (see pictures) includes the Tesla SE Precision AC cord and ...2000.00

Synergistic Research Tesla PowerCell 10se Mk II

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Synergistic
Research PowerCell 10 SE Mk II.

Great condition and perfectly functioning, only a minor crack on the back panel (see pictures)


includes the Tesla SE Precision AC cord and a dual
lead MPC

Webpage:

http://www.synergisticresearch.com


A review of the PowerCell 10 SE Mk II by Norm Luttbeg for Sterotimes (http://www.stereotimes.com/acc012811.shtml):

Synergistic Research PowerCell
10SE Mk II


The Best I've Heard?


 





 January 2011







 



 

It is not easy to tell a Synergistic
Research PowerCell 10SE Mk II from the
original, which has been my reference unit.
The new unit's AC power cord was upgraded to
a Tesla SE Precision AC cord with three
alternative AC receptacles for the charging
circuit-one silver, one grey, and one black.
Also the new Mk II is nine pounds heavier.
Finally, the blue led on the back showing
the PowerCell is charged is now a plug in
rather than a chassis mount. But I can say
you can easily hear the differences, at
least after four or five days.


I have found the original PowerCell to
be the best AC device for some time now and in this
review will merely compare the old and the new
units. I guess I could have compared the Mk II with
no AC conditioning, but that would have been very
difficult. I had all ten outlets of the original
PowerCell used for the power cords to all electrical
components and one used to two daisy chained Quantum
Line Series outlet boxes with all of these fifteen
outlets used primarily for the MPC chargers for my
cabling. Simply, I did not have another outlet box
to accommodate the AC cords plugged into the
original PowerCell. Please do not take anything I
say here as disparaging to the original PowerCell
10SE.


I did no prior conditioning of the Mk
II, but rather put it directly atop the original, as
that allowed as quick a comparison between it and
the original as I could. This did somewhat
disadvantage the Mk II as the original was atop
Synergistic Research MIGs in the pinpoint
configuration with two Mana stands beneath it. I
sought to offset this bias by later removing the
original and placing the Mk II in its place.




After a final listening to the
original PowerCell 10 SE on selected recordings, I
transferred the components to the Mk II, which had
been plugged in for a short time. Of course, all
components had to be shut down during this transfer.
After about an hour to allow everything to settle
down, I listened to the same selected recordings. My
first impression was that the two sounded very much
alike, but that the Mk II had a more extended and
sweet top end. Brass instruments were most
benefitted. I then listened for three hours to
various digital recordings and heard some
improvement, including a marked rise in the height
of the soundstage, a happening that always surprises
me.



Difference Between the Original PowerCell and the Mk
II


All PowerCells use Active
Electromagnetic Cells to condition the current. The
PowerCell 10SE Mk II uses silver as well as the
original copper plates, moreover, the Tesla SE
Active Power cord allows, “voicing” the shielding to
the user’s taste. The silver AC receptacle is
described as “open, airy, and dynamic.” At the
opposite end, the black AC is “rich and warm,” and I
would add has more bass. In between falls the grey
AC receptacles. At various points in my listening I
tried the black AC and only once the grey AC. In the
end, I much preferred the silver with the black
least preferred. It is certainly listenable but
never approaches realism in my system. The
differences between the three AC receptacles were
not subtle, and I suspect users may disagree about
which they prefer. The original PowerCell 10 SE had
this choice made for them by Synergistic Research.


The PowerCell 10SE Mk II comes with
the standard MPC (Mini Power Coupler) to charge the
fields. As I had been using the Galileo MPC on the
original, I did so also on the Mk II other than in
my initial listening secession. The difference was
not subtle either. I would urge buyers of the Mk II
to buy the optional Galileo MPC. Finally, although
Mr. Denney urges users to get the new TeslaPlex SE
wall outlet. I did not. Seeking to a close
comparison between the original and Mk II, I used
the original TeslaPlex.



Listening Sessions


My listening sessions use four primary recordings.
First is Holly Cole’s It Happened One Night Metro
Blue
(CDP 7243 8 52699 0 5); Frank Sinatra with
Count Basie, Sinatra
At
The Sands
(Vicy 94366 Japan) SHM; Willie
Nelson and Wynton Marsalis Two Men With The Blues (
Blue
Note Records TOCP-70541 Japan); and This Is K2 HD
Sound
(UD! FIM K2 HD 078). The first is an
outdoor performance when Holly Cole’s voice was
great and the sound stage well defined. Sinatra and
the Basie orchestra were in fine fiddle this evening
and were especially captured very accurately on this
Blu-ray plastic disc. The Nelson and Marsalis
recording has solo performances with the instrument
well mic'd and quite dynamic. Finally, the FIM
Ultimate Disc has varied cuts that allow evaluations
of percussion (chiefly Christopher Hardy’ Touch and
Pachelbel’s Canon in D), symphonic works (Ansermet’s
Swan Lake Duo and Habanera’s Fantasia from
Carmen) and vocals (Esther’s Kinderpiele and
Nah Youn Sun’s Heart of Glass).


         


The PowerCell 10 SE Mk II clearly has
a lower noise level than the original. You hear more
detail and more resolution of the timbre of
instruments, ambience in the recording venue,
especially in the Cole and Sinatra recording, and
decay of bass and chimes in both Touch and
Pachelbel
. The string tone of violins and basses
in Swan Lake Duo were very real with precise
timbre. Most notably on the Pachelbel the
musician noises and position in the recording
environment are quite noticeable and real. All of
this detail, musical or not, leant realism to these
recordings.



Secondly,
the Mk II is even more dynamic than the original,
which far exceeded the dynamics of the multitude of
devices I have used for cleaning up my increasingly
noisy AC. Marsalis’ trumpet is just sassy and loud
but real and often startling. The marimbas in the
Pachelbel
and the chimes on Touch are the
very essence of percussive. The tumbrel accuracy is
another improvement in the Mk II. On the Swan
Lake Duo
, the basses in the last part have real
tonal differences and multiple locations rather than
being just an ill-defined single note. The drums on
the Nelson and Marsalis recording sound real and the
shimmer on the bells in the Pachelbel is
outstanding.

Finally, there is the soundstaging. The recordings
as well as most others I have tried draw you into
them or envelope you in their soundstage. It is
almost as though channel separation is increased.
Here the Nelson and Marsalis is the best example.
Each of the instruments has a very precise location
and depth. You are also quite aware of the location
of the audience. This is also true of the Sinatra
recording. The audience is quite evident and noisy,
and even when the Basie orchestra is quiet, you are
aware of its presence.


I did remove the Synergistic MIGS from
under the PowerCell and did lose some of these
characteristics. Like everything else with current
moving, vibrations of wire within an electromagnetic
field induce signals within those wires having
nothing to do with the music. You need to isolate
this unit from vibrations as with every other
component.



Conclusion


Please remember that I am not comparing the
Synergistic PowerCell 10 SE Mk II with no AC
conditioning. All of the effects that I note would
be greater relative to no AC filtering. Frankly, I
would not have wanted to do such a comparison. I
stand by my very positive reaction to the original
PowerCell 10 SE. It was the best I had heard up to
that point. The PowerCell 10 SE Mk II is, however,
clearly better.

There was a twice as expensive Galileo PowerCell 10
SE released at this 2011 CES.










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